The Thundering Waves
by Crimson Idealist
Summary: Adam tries to help Joan overcome her fear of water.


The roar of the waves echoed in Joan Girardi's ears as she leaned back in the lounge chair and closed her eyes. It was a rhythmic, almost hypnotic sound that could nearly lull her to sleep. Balancing it out was the laughter and chatter of the people around her. Children, teenagers, mothers, and fathers were all out on the beach enjoying themselves that morning.  
  
Opening her eyes behind her sunglasses, Joan saw her friends and family at the edge of the water. Her brother Luke and his girlfriend Grace were racing to see who could swim farther out. Kevin, her older brother, lay in the lounge chair next to her; his hand placed over Rebecca's, who was on the other side of him. As much as she enjoyed watching them, only one person in particular could hold Joan's attention.  
  
Adam Rove had said he wasn't much of a beach person; however, he currently stood out in the ocean with his arms spread open. He seemed to be waiting for a wave to knock him down. He didn't have to wait for long. One large wave rushed over him, leaving him drenched. His unruly brown hair was now soaking wet, and even though she couldn't see them, Joan knew his light brown eyes were shining. In fact, he was probably trying to find a way to turn the experience into a sculpture.  
  
Looking back at her, he smiled. "You've gotta come out here!" he called.  
  
"And get wet? Are you crazy?" she called back.  
  
At that, Adam waded out of the water and ran towards her. Once he reached her, he shook his head and droplets of salt water rained down on her. Before she could respond, he bent down and kissed her. Joan always loved the way Adam's mouth felt on hers. His kisses were always slow and soft, never rushed, and this one was no exception.  
  
When they parted, he gave her a mischievous smile and took her hands. "Come on," he said.  
  
"Adam, what are you planning?"  
  
He didn't answer, just merely pulled her to her feet.  
  
"Adam." Joan's voice took on a warning tone, but Adam still didn't answer. However, she could see where they were headed. Almost immediately, she planted her feet in the sand and tugged the other way. "No! Adam, I can't swim."  
  
The panic in her voice caused Adam to stop. He turned around and gently wrapped his arms around her. "I won't let anything happen to you; I promise."  
  
"But..."  
  
He removed her sunglasses and pushed a brown strand of hair out of her eyes. "Trust me."  
  
He gently pulled on her hands, and they were moving again. Reluctantly, Joan allowed herself to be lead into the ocean. After all, if she couldn't trust Adam, then why was she dating him?  
  
Her breath caught the minute she felt the frigid water rush over her bare feet. She hadn't expected it to be that cold. She tried to turn around and run back to her lounge chair, but Adam had a good hold on her.  
  
He once again pulled her into his arms. "Trust me," he whispered again and led her a little farther in. She winced as another cold wave touched her shin. Planting her feet again, she shook her head. "This is far enough," she announced.  
  
Adam merely shook his head and lifted her off the ground. He carried her until the salt water reached his knees. He then gently set her down in the soft, wet sand.  
  
Joan took another quick breath as she felt the water surround her knees. She'd never been that far out before, and there she was helpless in Adam's arms. To her relief, he didn't move anymore, just stood there and let the waves roll past him.  
  
"Feels nice, doesn't it?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers.  
  
A grin crept across her face. "Yeah, actually it does."  
  
"See? It's not so bad."  
  
They stood there, lost in their own little world. Adam slowly moved closer to her and their lips met. The kiss deepened and was even better than the last had been. No, it wasn't perfect. It was a little sloppy and awkward, but it still felt right. In fact, kissing Adam always felt right.  
  
Just then, someone ran headlong into them and nearly knocked them over. Adam caught himself before he fell into the water and held onto Joan in the process. Looking up, Joan saw a sheepish Luke standing in front of her.  
  
"Sorry about that. Grace pushed me," he explained.  
  
"I did not, Girardi!" Grace replied indignantly as she came up behind him. With that, she splashed him in the face with salt water and took off running. Luke quickly took off after her in hot pursuit.  
  
Laughing, Joan turned back to Adam. Everything seemed perfect in her world, and she wanted to hold onto that moment just a little longer. As each wave crashed against her knees, Joan moved closer to Adam and promised herself that she wasn't going to let go. 


End file.
